Of Bullets and Teammates
by WayWardWonderer
Summary: After being attacked by H.Y.D.R.A. agents, Steve Rogers is injured and unexpectedly aided by Tony Stark and Pepper Potts in the safety of 'Avengers Tower'. As Steve recovers from his injuries he and Tony find some common ground, and with it a new level of respect for each other. (post Winter Soldier and pre Age of Ultron.) *short story, may be continued later on*
1. Ambush

Steve Rogers had returned to his boyhood home of Brooklyn, though his neighborhood had changed drastically since he was a child all too long ago.

The mission was over. With the assistance of Black Widow and the Falcon, Captain America was able to finally stop H.Y.D.R.A. and prevent the deaths of his teammates, friends and other innocent people he may never even get a chance to meet.

His mind was focused on finding his long lost, long believed dead best friend James 'Bucky' Barnes. If Bucky had truly been manipulated by H.Y.D.R.A., if he was truly the 'Winter Soldier' and an enemy to S.H.I.E.L.D., then why did Bucky pull him from the river? Why didn't Bucky let him drown or succumb to his bullet wounds? In Steve's mind Bucky wasn't evil, he was just lost in the darkness and needed a guiding light to show him the way back home, back to his friend.

It was late, he had left the secretive S.H.I.E.L.D. hospital in favor of returning to his bullet riddled, crime scene of an apartment to pack up what little he had and temporarily move into a hotel. As he slowly limped down the vacant, dark sidewalk his training as an elite soldier told him that he was not actually alone. He paused on the sidewalk, the bright light of the overhead street lamp cast and eerie yellow glow down his body.

He turned his head and listened carefully to the ambience around him: Newspapers being blown about in the light breeze, bugs fluttering about the buzzing streetlamp, a police siren in the distance and slow, heavy footsteps approaching his position. Turning on his heels Steve stared down the dim path from whence he came.

Sweat beaded on his brow as his blood pressure elevated. Small stains of sweat began forming under his arms and soaked through his plain white t-shirt. The blue flannel shirt he wore over the shirt concealed his stressed façade.

A second set of footsteps caught his attention, this sound was coming from the opposite direction.

He turned his head again and saw a lone figure wearing a heavy trench coat and a hat casually strolling toward him. The figure's hands were in the coat pockets and a small red glow from his cigarette signaled his breaths between the puffs of smoke he left behind.

"Mr. Rogers?"

Steve turned to face the first figure again.

"Nothing personal." He could now see that the firs figure was dressed in a similar manner as the second, minus the cigarette. "But I'm always loyal to my friends and bosses." He pulled a gun from his beneath his coat. "Hail H.Y.D.R.A.!" The trigger was pulled.

Swiftly Steve dodged to the right as the fired bullet zoomed past his head and down the sidewalk toward the second figure. Before the first man had time to react Steve was sprinting toward him and grabbed ahold of his hand, holding the gun at bay.

The second figure moaned as the bullet lodged in his chest, near his heart. He too pulled out a gun and fired.

While Steve struggled with the first gunman the second fell to the sidewalk and blacked out as he laid on the sidewalk in a growing crimson puddle of his own blood.

With one hand Steve held the gun back and with the other he forcefully punched his attacker in the face. The unknown gunman fell to the ground, his gun now in Steve's grip. Steve turned the gun and pointed it at his attacker. "H.Y.D.R.A. has fallen, surrender."

"Cut off one head, another will take its place."

Squealing tires of a readily approaching vehicle from down the street drew Steve's attention away from his target. The gunman laughed as he pulled a second gun and quickly fired, the bullet struck Steve in his shoulder. As the bullet penetrated his flesh Steve fire his gun and dropped it as he took a step back off the curb.

The car sped toward Steve, its headlights illuminating Steve's body and emphasizing the blossoming blood stain on his shoulder. The horn blared and the copper colored sports car came to a screeching halt just inches from Steve.

The driver's side window rolled down and a familiar face leaned out. "Get in!"

"Tony!? What're you doing here?" Steve couldn't believe his eyes.

"I said, GET IN!" Tony repeated with authority. "Now! Move your red, white and blue ass!"

Unwilling to stay out in the open with two H.Y.D.R.A. assassins, Steve pulled open the rear passenger door of the car and laid down on the backseat.

Tony floored the car and sped off in a loud burst of squealing rubber and smoke. The gunman continued firing at his fleeing target, now using both guns.

"Aw man!" Tony complained as the bullets lodged into the exterior of the car and shattered the rear window. "Glad this thing is bullet proof!" He swerved through the empty streets as he attempted to disappear from the gunmen's sight. "Cap, you alright?"

"Yeah, fine..." Steve lied as he brushed away the bits of glass all around him. He started clutching at the fresh bullet wound in his shoulder to try and stem the bleeding.

Tony looked at him in the rearview mirror and spotted the blood. He turned his head and looked directly at Steve. "Liar! People don't bleed when they're fine! You've been shot!"

"Just in the shoulder, it's no big deal."

" _Again_ with the lying!" Tony remarked. "You were hit in the side _and_ you're getting blood all over my nice interior."

"Sorry..."

"Don't worry about it. I'll just get a new one."

"Interior?"

"Car."

"Right..." Steve tried to sit up, using his good arm to push himself upward, but he was too weak from his new and previous injuries. He laid back down. "Where are we going?"

"To the Tower. You'll be safe there."

"What're you even doing here? I thought you were hiding out in Malibu."

"It's a long story. All you need to know is I pissed off a terrorist and my house is at the bottom of the ocean. I'm staying in the Tower."

"Okay, but what were you doing in my neighborhood?"

"It's kind of hard to keep three S.H.I.E.L.D. hellicarriers falling into the Potomac a secret. I knew you lived nearby and I wanted to see if you could fill in the details."

"Good timing..." Steve slurred a little.

"Cap? Cap! Stay awake for me, we're almost there."

Steve's eyes closed and his body went limp.

"J.A.R.V.I.S., call the Tower and tell Pepper that we need to give the new medical wing a test run. Tonight."

 _'Yes,_ _sir_.' The loyal A.I. obeyed. ' _Shall I explain the situation, or would you prefer to lie to Miss Potts yourself_?'

 _ **...to be continued...**_


	2. The Tower

As requested J.A.R.V.I.S. relayed Tony's message to Pepper, who was working late in the 'Avengers Tower'. Pepper had been sitting behind her desk with a large display screen, going through the numerous legal documents that seemed to haunt her as the head of Stark Industries when J.A.R.V.I.S.'s refined voice transmitted the message.

"Oh no." She put her face in her hands and leaned against the desk. "Tony, what did you do now?"

* * *

The flashy and ostentatious sports car pulled into a hidden underground garage located beneath Avengers Tower. Tony casually threw the car into park and looked back at Steve, who was laying partially conscious in the bloody backseat.

"Steve honey, wake up. We're at grandma's!"

Steve didn't respond or even look up at his unexpected rescuer. The bleeding had slowed but not before he lost a substantial amount of blood.

"Not even a chuckle. What's wrong with today's elderly." Climbing out of the car Tony flung open the rear passenger door and leaned into the backseat over Steve and wrapped his injured arm around his own shoulders. "Alright Cap, let's move." Tony struggled to try and lift Steve's heavy body up from the seat.

Half conscious Steve, weakly tried to throw a punch at Tony, unable to recognize his teammate.

Tony easily managed to void contact. "Whoa! Easy 'Little Mac', the bell's rung." Just as Tony had Steve sitting up in the seat Pepper walked into the private, elaborate garage.

"Tony?" She saw the blood on Steve's arm and the blood stains gathering on Tony's shirt. "My God! What happened?" As she jogged over to the car she saw Steve and his bloodied clothes. "Who attacked him?"

"Some thugs with guns." He finally pulled Steve up and out of the car. "But since we're in New York that doesn't exactly narrow down the suspect pool."

"Let me help." Pepper got on the other side of Steve's limp body and wrapped his other arm around her shoulders. "The medical wing is already up and running."

"Banner?" Tony asked casually as the trio awkwardly walked toward the elevator.

"He's waiting inside. J.A.R.V.I.S. didn't tell me much, so I wasn't exactly prepared to see Captain America shot up in the backseat of your car."

"You say that like it's a normal, everyday occurrence to see super soldiers bleeding in the tower."

"Well, considering he's associated with you..."

* * *

Bruce Banner was pacing the length of the high tech medical wing, specially built for the tower. Dr. Helen Cho had been immensely helpful with her research into cellular regeneration and provided the technology required for their own 'cradle' to use when necessary.

"J.A.R.V.I.S.," He addressed the A.I. while he cleaned off his glasses on his shirt. "what's going on?"

 _'Captain Rogers has been injured in what appears to be a failed assassination attempt_.'

"What? I thought it was Tony who... Never mind! Where are they?"

 _'In the elevator two floor down_.'

As if on cue the elevator doors opened and out walked Tony and Pepper carrying Steve's injured form over their shoulders.

"C'mon Pepper, why do you also assume that when something bad happens I'm the one responsible?"

"Because you're YOU!"

"That's not fair. You know I can't _not_ be me. It's just wrong."

Bruce rushed over to the bloodied trio and pressed his fingers to Steve's neck. "Pulse is slow but it's strong." He took Pepper's place and helped Tony carry Steve into the medical wing and toward an examination table. "How long ago do this happen?"

"About five minutes."

Steve was laid out flat on the table and Bruce proceeded to examine the bullet wound in Steve's side. "What happened? Muggers pick the wrong target?"

" _Assassins_ picked the wrong victim."

"J.A.R.V.I.S. give me a reading on his condition."

 _'Yes, sir.'_ The A.I. responded quickly then fell silent as it began scanning Steve's body. _'Heart rate and respirations are stable. Blood pressure is low, no sign of internal hemorrhage._ '

"At least there's that." Steve started to rouse, his head lolling lightly from side to side. "Steve?" Bruce patted his face. "You there?"

Steve's blue eyes fluttered open. "Dr. Banner?"

"Yeah, it's me. How do you feel?"

He looked around at his new and strange environment. "Confused. Where am I?"

Tony cleared his throat. "You my 'Die Hard' friend are in the tower. More specifically the medical bay of the tower, and by the way, you owe me a new shirt." He pulled the bloodied fabric of his stained shirt from his shoulders. "No amount of Tide can make this shirt wearable again."

Bruce finished checking over Steve's recent wounds and came across the scars from his already healed wounds at the hands of Bucky and his gun. "Man, did someone mistake your shield for a target? What have you been doing?"

Steve sighed and closed his eyes. "Long story and it's not even over yet."

Pepper motioned for Tony to follow her out of the room. He followed, preparing to be lectured or yelled at for putting himself so close to danger. Again.

She was waiting by the elevator for Tony to join her. "Pep, before you say anything I promise you-"

Pepper wrapped her arms around him and hugged.

"This is nice." Tony embraced her in return. "What did I do?"

"You saved Steve's life. That's what!"

"Oh. How come after I saved _you_ from the 'Hammer drones' I got _yelled_ at?"

"Because you _lied_ to me about being _sick_!"

"Oh."

"I'm just glad you're safe." She let him go and looked into his eye. "What happened out there? I thought you were just going to talk to Steve?"

"I was. But before I got to his apartment I saw him in a Mexican stand off with two gunmen. Not the best time to stop and chat, trust me."

"Do you know who they were?"

"No. But if I had to hazard a guess I'd go with uptight H.Y.D.R.A. assassins."

"H.Y.D.R.A.? But didn't your father-"

"Dad did his best but sometimes his best wasn't good enough. Case in point, look at me."

"You're okay."

"I am now. Thanks to you."

Bruce joined Tony and Pepper at the elevator, he took off his glasses and tucked them into his lab coat.

Tony saw Bruce approaching. "How's 'John McClane' holding up?"

"He'll be fine." Bruce answered honestly with heavy relief in his voice. "Thanks to Dr. Cho he'll be patched in a few hours."

Pepper relaxed her posture. "What about the blood loss? Surely that machine can't replace it."

"No. But since he's already superhuman his metabolic rate is at its absolute peak and he'll be one-hundred percent by tomorrow."

"Good. Until then he's staying in the tower with us."

Tony didn't like the sound of that. "Pardon me? I didn't agree to any sleepover with 'Benjamin Button'. And I especially don't want his gun toting 'friends' sneaking around the tower."

"Tony!" Pepper playfully slapped his shoulder. "Where else is he going to go?"

"The pound will take in strays."

"Stop." Pepper scolded dryly. "Bruce, are you staying the night again?"

"No, I actually have to leave _now_ if I want to meet with... a friend." Bruce managed to keep his secret encounter a secret for a little longer as he stepped into the elevator. "Steve can stay in my room if he wants." The doors closed and Bruce was gone.

"Great." Pepper gave Tony a serious look. "I'm going to let Steve know. I'm also going to lend him some of your old clothes to wear."

Tony watched as Pepper disappeared down the hall. "Then he owes me two new shirts and a pair of pants!" He had one last thought before he returned to the medical wing. "Don't let him have any of my underwear! That's too far! The captain can go 'commando'!"

 _ **...to be continued...**_


	3. Memories

Pepper walked into the medical bay with fresh clothes for Steve to change into. He was no longer wearing his bloody shirts and she could see the scars from his previous injuries from his last mission as well as the scars he received during his time in the war.

"Here." She handed the clothes to Steve who gracious accepted. "They're Tony's old clothes, I'm not sure if they'll fit but it's the best I could do."

"This fine. Thank you very much." He unfolded the t-shirt and saw the 'Metallica' logo on the front. He looked up at her with a small smirk. "Yeah, this will be fine."

"Bruce said it's okay for you to stay in his room for the night."

Steve slipped the almost too small t-shirt on over hi head. "Where's Banner going to sleep?"

"He's out for the night."

Steve didn't say anything but the look he gave Pepper told her that he was just dying to ask.

"We don't know where he goes, we just know he needs to be alone sometimes."

"Oh."

"I'm going to be in my office, but if you need anything don't hesitate to ask."

"Thanks, but I think I'm going to be okay."

"Okay." She turned on her heels and left Steve alone to finish dressing.

In the midst of the chaos Steve realized that his watch had been broken. He slipped the useless device from his wrist and tossed it onto his pile of bloody clothes on the floor. "Great. Another thing to put on my 'to-do' list."

As he exited the medical wing he looked around the high tech hallway completely lost. "Wish I knew where I was going."

 _'If you continue West you'll enter Master Banner's private laboratory_.' J.A.R.V.I.S. intervened. _'If you head East you'll locate the elevator from whence you came._ '

"Uh, thanks." Steve looked around until he spotted a control panel on the wall. "Where do I go to find a place to relax?"

 _'Top floor is the recreation center. Mister Stark is preparing his third cocktail at the bar_.'

"Okay. Then that's where I'll go."

 _'Very well. Enter the elevator and I will take you there_.'

* * *

Just as J.A.R.V.I.S. had stated Tony was behind the bar mixing drinks and tasting them.

The elevator doors opened and Steve stepped out into the remodeled and furnished recreation room.

Tony held up a bottle of vodka. "Hey,can I fix you a nightcap, Cap?"

"Sure." Steve couldn't drunk so he could handle anything and everything with alcohol. "Give me something strong."

"Are you sure about that? Shouldn't a man of your age be more aware of alcohol and the effect on your fragile body?"

"Just pour the drink Stark." Steve demanded as he approached the bar.

"Yes sir. One 'Shirley Temple' coming right up."

"Do you ever stop with the wisecracks?"

"Only when people stop talking." He slid the drink over to Steve's hands. "Enjoy."

Steve glanced at the drink in his hands before he downed it in a quick shot, never flinching and showing no effect from the potent drink. "Not bad."

"I'm impressed. Usually my cocktails cause a first round knock out."

"Well, I'm a contender."

"I'll say. You tried to coldcock me when I was helping out of my car. My stained, _ruined_ , bloody car." He poured himself a drink.

"Sorry."

"Don't be. I ducked. You're not as quick as you used to be, then again you're not as young as you used to be."

"How long are you going to keep making comments on my age?"

"Until you do something else worth mocking." He downed his drink. "Another?"

"Please."

"I have to admit it's kind of nice to have someone new to drink with."

"Your old drinking buddies grow up?"

"No, they've just seen my embarrass myself so many times that it doesn't even phase them."

Steve gave Tony an odd look.

"Trust me, you haven't had a proper drinking binge until you've seen me with no pants and a lampshade on my head."

"I believe you."

"There's a clip on YouTube if you want to see it."

"No! No thanks, like I said, I believe you."

"You're too sensitive."

"Maybe I'm just human."

"No, you're superhuman. Which means you're also super sensitive. Explains alot actually..."

Steve downed his second drink. "Yeah and you're more human than I am."

"Pardon?"

"Well you're the one who needs a special battery to keep your heat beating, mine is just fine."

"Needed." Tony corrected as he pulled up his shirt revealing the removed arc reactor. "I'm better now."

"Wow. When did that happen?"

"Good one." Tony picked up the bottle and motioned at Steve's glass.

Steve nodded. "So your heart has healed?"

"Uh... more or less. I no longer has shrapnel threatening to penetrate my heart at every passing second, but there's some scar tissue. Nothing too severe but it's not something to be ignored."

"How fitting."

Tony smiled and put his hands on the bar, he leaned toward Steve. "I'm getting the impression that you have far more to say than you like to let on. And I want to hear it. Let's talk."

"About what?"

"Doesn't matter. Pick a subject and I'll play Trebek."

Steve didn't recognize the name but brushed it off. "Remember what I said about you being the kind of guy who would never lay down on the wire?"

"Vividly. This was _before_ I saved the city from an unwarranted nuke, so I forgive you. Go on."

"Well, I was wrong. And I'm sorry for assuming that you'd never be willing to sacrifice yourself for the good of others."

"Don't apologize. I _was_ that kind of guy, a long time ago." He poured himself another shot. "And I've had to live with the consequences of that shortsightedness for many years and many more years to come." He downed the shot. "I'm sensing some regret here, what's really on your mind?"

Steve looked at his reflection in his empty shot glass. "It's complicated."

"And I'm not? Trust me, complicated is my native language."

"Before the war..." Steve was hesitant to open up about his past, especially to someone like Tony Stark. "I was constantly getting picked on and beaten up for being small and weak."

"That's not an uncommon problem. Especially in New York."

"It seemed like my best friend was always coming to my aid and without him at my side, it was like I never even existed."

Tony poured Steve another shot. "Overshadowed by someone you admire. I know the feeling."

Steve knew Tony was referring to his own father. "He joined the Army and I was rejected by the Army multiple times."

"It's hard for me to imagine you being rejected by the Army. At least the U.S. Army, I don't think Germany would take too kindly to the man who kicked their asses trying to join their ranks."

"After I was finally accepted I was given the serum that made me what I am today and I was reunited with Bucky."

"Bucky?" Tony laughed a little. "Your friend's name was Bucky?"

"James Barnes. I called him Bucky."

"Ah, like I call James Rhodes 'Rhodey'. Clever. Sorry to interrupt." He poured himself another shot. "Keep going, I'm enthralled!"

"During a mission... Bucky was..."

"He died." Tony answered on Steve' behalf.

"Yeah." Steve downed his shot. "I could've saved him if I had reacted quicker."

"Steve," Tony poured Steve yet another shot. "sometimes you just can't save everyone. Even the people who matter the most to you."

"Who," Steve could see the shame in Tony's eyes. "who did you lose?"

"A friend who saved my life before it was worth saving. Yinsen." He skipped pouring the shot and took a drink right from the bottle. "His _whole_ family had been killed. If anyone deserved to be an embittered sociopath, it was him. Instead he chose to keep helping people, even me. In the end he gave up his life so I could not only escape but keep living."

"You couldn't save him?"

"He didn't want me to. I keep asking myself if I should've done something more, should've forced him to get up, but in the end I remember that it was his decision. I was just fortunate enough to know him before he died."

"What if you found out that someone you care about, someone who thought had died a long time ago was still alive? But they weren't the same person you remember?"

"Then I'd applaud their ability to change their taste in friends."

Steve couldn't help but smile at the quip. "But what if they had become, as you said, embittered?"

"Then I think I'd back off and let them alone. Sometimes people just need to be alone for a while." Tony put aside the now empty vodka bottle and opened a new one. "Look at Banner." He poured himself another shot. "Look at me." He poured Steve a shot. "And look at yourself."

This comment Steve off guard. "What?"

"Well, you're not exactly a recluse using tissue boxes for shoes, but you haven't been out and about enjoying yourself, making new friends or even exploring the world. You're living in the past. That seems like an awfully lonely place to exist."

"Yeah. Maybe you're right."

"You admit it? Finally! J.A.R.V.I.S., you heard it, right?"

 _'Yes sir. I'll mark it on your calendar._ '

Steve stood up from the bar and tried to look at his non-existent watch. "Uh, you have the time?"

 _'It is now 11:34._ '

"Thanks. Look, I'm tired and smell like blood. Where do I go from here?"

"J.A.R.V.I.S. will show you the way." Tony slurred a little. "I shouldn't be leading anyone anywhere in my condition."

Tony stumbled out from behind the bar. Steve caught him by the arm and helped to steady him. "How about you turn in for the night, too?"

"Okay, but I'm sleeping in my own bed!"

"That was the plan."

"Good plan."

"By the way, thanks for listening."

"No problem. What's the point of owning a private bar unless someone has a sad story to cry into a shot glass?"

 _ **-The End**_


End file.
